In true wallflower fashion, she sampled every appetizer that passed and gathered quite a collection of cocktail napkins and toothpicks. A butler delivered a flute of champagne and she gratefully accepted it, using the empty flute to stuff her trash in when she sucked the bubbly fizz dry.
“Skylar?”
She turned at the sound of her name, startled to see a familiar face in the mix. “Uncle Colin!” She spotted her aunt. “Wow, Aunt Sammy, I love your dress!”
“And look at you,” her aunt said, taking her hand and pulling her into a half twirl. “I hardly recognized you.”
Skylar flushed. “It’s Hannah’s dress. Sort of a last-minute thing.”
“Well, you’re stunning.” She kissed Skylar’s cheek. “I guess you’re here for your new job?”
She nodded and pointed to her charge who still clung to her father’s side. “That’s Addison.”
“She’s a cutie.” Sammy raised her brows and leaned close to whisper, “Just like her father.”
She needed no reminder that the mayor was considered the town’s most eligible bachelor. Women of all ages found him charming and classically handsome. Apparently, even the happily married ones weren’t immune.
Rhett turned and smiled at them, then broke away from the conversation to walk over and say hello. “Colin, Samantha, it’s nice to see you again.”
“You too, Rhett,” Colin greeted, shaking the mayor’s hand. “How’s your newest employee doing?”
Sammy rolled her eyes and gave Skylar an apologetic glance. But Rhett played it off and simply said, “She’s wonderful. Fitting right in.”
“Hi, Addison, I’m Sammy. You met my son Michael the other day.” Her aunt crouched down so that she was at the little girl’s eye level. “Do you want me to show you where he is?”
Addison frowned and Skylar reminded, “You remember Michael, don’t you? He helped you make the gingerbread house at Miss Maureen’s.”
“Oh, yeah!”
They broke off from the men and found Michael playing in the banquet hall with some other children. Addison jumped right into the fun.
“Champagne?” A server appeared and she and Aunt Sammy eagerly accepted two glasses.
“Thank you.”
Aunt Sammy watched her and chuckled. “I’m not used to seeing you drink.”
“I’m twenty-one now, so…”
“I know, but when I met you, you were just a little girl. I still see you that way sometimes.”
She remembered when her Aunt Sammy first came to visit. She’d actually come to the mountain with her Uncle Braydon, but there was a whole twisted story there, and she ended up with her Uncle Colin, who, at the time, was supposed to become a priest.
She smirked into her champagne flute. Every family had their secrets.
“So, how’s the new job?”
“Pretty good. I love Addison.”
“How’s her father?”
“He’s fine. His assistant leaves something to be desired.”
She stared across the room where Erin appeared to be lecturing some of the catering staff. It was the first time she got to take in the other woman’s dress. She had a lot of nerve making a comment about Skylar’s dress when she was basically wearing a skintight, red candy wrapper.
“Erin Montgomery?” Sammy asked, her expression similar to the one Aunt Nicky had made.
“Do you know her?”
“Unfortunately.” Sammy hid her mouth behind another glass of champagne. “I’m not a fan.”
That seemed to be the verdict for most.
Just then, Erin noticed them and crossed the dance floor. “Skylar, Addison’s wearing white. She’s going to get dirty before pictures. I specifically told you to watch her.”
“She’s playing with the other kids.”
“Well, the other kids aren’t the mayor’s children.”
“Hello, Erin,” Sammy interrupted. She’d never witnessed or believed her aunt had a cold side, but the chilly look she sent Erin proved every woman was capable of an icy stare.
“Samantha. How are you?”
“Wonderful. You?”
“Great.”
Skylar wasn’t sure how some women managed to use pleasantries as passive aggressive daggers, but her aunt was proving a master. The more she smiled and chose nice words, the more evident it was that she despised Erin. Aunt Sammy was a passive powerhouse, and Skylar was beyond impressed.
Erin’s brittle smile turned back to Skylar. “Get Addison off the floor.” With that she stalked away.
Skylar rolled her eyes. “Was she always a bitch?”
“She’s always been…something special. Let’s get more champagne.”
Skylar needed to get food in Addison’s stomach.
They hit the buffet and made plates for the kids. After that, they moved to the line for Santa.
Michael and Addison were adorable together. They danced and twirled and took great interest in each other, which kept Addison occupied and happy most of the night. It also gave Skylar a chance to catch up with her aunt. The evening turned out to be a lot of fun.
Once they made it to Santa Claus, she called Rhett over and he got an adorable family photo with his daughter and the big guy, but then it was back to playing mayor. When Sammy and Colin left, Skylar was on her own and back to the usual business of keeping Addison occupied.